


given, lost, and found.

by ARSONjST



Series: Dream SMP Short Stories [3]
Category: Minecraft Youtubers/Streamers, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Blood and Injury, DadSchlatt AU, Sleepy bois, Tubbo has a shitty time, i just want family dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:13:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28197465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ARSONjST/pseuds/ARSONjST
Summary: Tubbo's had three father figures in his life, a greedy ram, a protective king, and a light-hearted adventurer.
Series: Dream SMP Short Stories [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2068716
Comments: 12
Kudos: 171





	given, lost, and found.

There wasn't ever any snow in the port city the small goat boy had grown up in, he'd always been fascinated by the stories his father would tell him as they sat by candlelight. He'd reach his little clawed hands up to his father and rubbed the gold nubs that hid the sharpest part of his horns as he spoke in a hushed tone.

He didn't like it when Dad took off the golden nubs, people would start crying. Tubbo didn't understand what it meant, but he always looked away, the red that would coat his father's horns would stay for hours and the smell was so strong. He hated it.

"Cmon kiddo. We gotta get you to bed." His father's voice says as Tubbo stares at the images of the snowy mountains his father grew up on, "big day tomorrow right, Tubbs?"

"But Dad!" He whines looking up at his father who sighs, swooping up the child and tossing him in the air and grinning as he catches him. Tubbo squeals and grabs onto his father's hands and the ram grins at his son. Tubbo was too young to smell the alcohol or understand why his dad had dark colored circles under his eyes. He was too young to understand why his dad wore a suit everywhere he went and why he was always talking to other people in suits. He didn't understand the importance his father held.

He never asked though, he didn't think it was important. Schlatt set the child against his shoulder and laughed, bouncing him, "Cmon Bubs, I promise tomorrow will be a better day."

* * *

Tubbo awoke to someone arguing, the sun hadn't even illuminated his room yet. In the pale moonlight outside, small white tufts of snow rain down, making the world a dull gray that perfectly encompassed the feelings of what was going to happen. Tubbo groggily sat up and rubbed his eyes, whining at the noise. He always hated shouting, he always hated when people were upset. The door that keeps him safe from the noise is abruptly swung open and someone wearing all black stumbles in. The child screams as the unfamiliar person reached for him. He hides, burying his face in a small bee plush he'd gotten for his birthday, wanting to disappear.

"Get away from my kid, fucker." He hears his dad say and there's another round of fighting that causes tears to spill down the five-year-olds face. Eventually, the noise ceases as a gross metallic smell fills Tubbo's nose, and there's a soft shift in the atmosphere of the room until everything stills. Tubbo lays as still as he can in the bed, fear, and sadness enveloping him.

"Tubbs? Oh god, Bubs." His father gently picks him up and rocks him back and forth, shushing him. Tubbo stops his crying, as Dad always said 'count to ten and take a deep breath' so he follows the advice until he calms enough. He sits up and wipes his face, whimpering and clinging to his father's suit jacket.

"It's okay, Bubs," Schlatt murmurs, pulling the child to his chest. There's another man in the doorway, holding two bags.

"Are you sure this is worth it?" The guy approaches Tubbo and gently runs a hand through his own short brown hair.

"I have to keep him safe, Captain, and this is the best way to do it." Schlatt sighs, handing over the child, who doesn't want to leave his father's grasp.

"Very well."

* * *

"Cmon T!" Jordan shouted, sliding down the railing of the storefronts. Tubbo followed him, trying to keep the zombies far behind him. There isn't much room for them to go, the icy docks are dead ahead and there are no ships, which Jordan just notices as they approach. The two pant, their breath curling in the frozen temperatures, as the snowfall begins to pick up.

"Oh, you're kidding me!" Jordan cries, his breath hitching as he sees the horde, "Kid!"

A zombie swipes down as Tubbo turns, causing him to stumble back and land harshly on his bag. Tubbo lifts a hand to his cheek, where a long scratch bore deep into his skin. Hot and slick against his hand, the blood pooled and dripped down. Red soaked the newly torn side of his bag where some papers and emeralds tumble out. Jordan curses to himself and runs back to the boy he'd been paid to watch for two years. Without hesitation, he stepped in front of Tubbo and slammed his shield down to block the zombies for a few seconds. In a panic, he hastily grabs everything Tubbo needs. The eight-year-old whimpers at the sight of his ruined bag, but he doesn't have time to dwell on it.

"Kid, grab this sword and these golden apples." He's handed the supplies as Jordan peeks over his shield. Gritting his teeth he drops back down and motions to a wooden box with some blankets inside resting, half-open, on the cargo dock, "Get in there and hide, T. Okay? I'll come back to get you and we'll go find your dad, I promise."

"Okay, okay, thank you, Captain." Tubbo nods and runs off, his bag drops some supplies and as he ducks in the bin and curls up he rustles in the bag. Quickly, he pulls out his small bee plush, and he tugs it to his chest. His cheek burns in pain and he can't help the hot tears that run down his face.

* * *

"Dad! Look! There's a kid my age in here!" He hears a high pitched voice shout. Eyes cracking open as he sits up, Tubbo feels a shadow loom over him. He can see two people, a blonde boy probably around his age who uses his shoulder to nestle the box open, and a taller brunette behind him who tilts his head in confusion.

"Tommy! Move!" The boy behind him says, with a deep voice, and Tubbo yanks the sword up and holds it with shaking hands. Fear fuels his jagged and shaking motions and he whimpers as the two in front of him seem shocked.

"Dad! He has a sword!" The blonde shrieks, falling back and lifting his own iron sword with much more precision and anger than Tubbo. The injured boy whimpers and backs himself as far as he can into the box, he wants to hide, he wants to disappear.

"Tommy, hey! Techno, grab him." Another voice says, and the brunette behind him grabs Tommy's arm and yanks him back. Soon after, another person kneels. An older man with blonde hair, who tilts his head at the sight of the kid.

He sets a bag in front of him and holds out a golden apple, gently shaking it to entice the child, he keeps a gentle smile as he murmurs, "It's okay, Kid. We're not gonna hurt you."

Tubbo scoots forward and taps the apple until it falls out of the man's hand, he then snatches it as quickly as he can and retreats to the corner again. The man sighs softly and adjusts his sitting position. He takes a moment to actually look at this kid, his brown hair has some natural sun highlights that make it look more dirty blonde. His eyes are dull, almost grey-blue, and the whites are red and puffy from crying. He can see the boy has an old, dirty sweater on and some busted in jeans and boots. The most noticeable thing about the boy is a thick scar that runs from his upper left cheek down across his lips, it's just started to scab over. 

This kid clearly had gone through something rough, something that made his parents leave him in this box in the nearly ruined kingdom Philza had come with his kids to loot and prepare for new villagers as they had done for the past six towns affected by the Nether and End portal openings.

Sitting up with the portal openings in mind, the man takes a quick sweep of his surroundings and calls out to his kids, "Wilbur, Techno, can you two put up some torches around here? I have a feeling we might be here until nightfall, and I don't need any zombies sneaking up--"

"No! No zombies!" Tubbo cries, dropping the sword and golden apple as he curls in on himself again. So that's what had caused this, zombie hoards.

"That's what the torches are for, buddy." The man says trying again to calm down the boy, "Look, my name is Philza, okay? The blonde boy is Tommy, the brunette with the circular glasses is Wilbur, and the one with the square glasses is Techno."

"My dad called me Tubbs... and The Captain called me T.," Tubbo says softly.

"Do you want me to call you T?" Philza asks, gently creaking the box open a bit more.

"Tubbo." The boy scoots a bit forward now, feeling a bit safer.

"Tubbo?" Philza grins, "well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Tubbo."

**Author's Note:**

> hey hey hey :)  
> u should follow my tumblr @arsonlst :)


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